So it's job hunting time!Got an offer for a small security firm, attractive salary. Started interviewing for Deloitte (Risk), looks promising. They said they considering either a Manager and Senior Consultant role, though favoured the latter. They also said that the 'title' is tightly coupled to salary. This worried me slightly. Anyone know what sort of salary I should expect for a SC in London? Specifically for Risk - I guess the numbers vary depending on the business group..Favour Deloitte mainly for the brand and their clients, though given the smaller firm is seems more flexible and relaxed, I'd want the salary to at least be in a similar ballpark.Thanks!

Deloitte will be approx £56k (£50-52k salary and £5,100 flexible benefits). If you already earn more than that, they may go slightly further into the SC range - I think that's goes to around 60k salary, but I'm not sure.I don't know how salaries sit within Risk, but the figures above are what myself (FS) and a friend (Technology in TMT) were offered earlier this year.Good luck

Thankyou for the reply.What exactly are "flexible benefits"?Also, how many days leave are included?

Flex Benefits :- Interest free season ticket loan- Pension contributions- Medical Insurance (e.g. BUPA)- Dental- Company Car - Holiday purchase- Childcare vouchers- Bike4work SchemeI'm sure there are others, but generally those are the benefits.

Quite a few of the above. At Senior Consultant grade you could take no benefits and add the £5,100 to your take home pay or pick and choose which ones you want.25 days annual leave

Thanks so much for your reply.Holiday purchase sounds amazing; unless of course each day is crazy expensive! :)

No, a day's holiday costs you a day's pay. Quite good value, especially compared to the fees the firm potentially foregoes. Most people inm my area seem to have opted for this."Flexible benefits" basically means "we give you nothing; if you want it, you pay for it. However we will convert part of your salary into non-pensionable pay from which you can do so, if you wish"! This seems pretty standard nowadays.NB pension contributions are not a flexible benefit - they are a core benefit. Joining is optional and naturally costs, but as from next year it's effectively £2.00 back for every 48p you put in, which I shan't be turning down.

All these benefits are very well, but what sort of hours do they make you work?Getting a free season ticket loan (whoopee!! save about £5 on interest!!) is all very well, but of more value would surely be getting to leave the office on time every evening (i.e. the time it says in your contract). Otherwise you're giving them hours and hours of free labour in exchange for a couple of quid extra?

Depends on how many extra hours for free over and above the contractual agreement as a consultant? 10%? 25%? 50%? What is the average? The benefits can be looked on as life changing to some and to others nothing useful. I take your point, balancing the benefits with the extra hours worked.

The season ticket loan isn't part of flex benefits and I think it is something all firms offer to help with cash flow for the most junior of staff.Contractual hours are 9-5.30, but I wouldn't pay any notice to that.

Going to play devils advocate:"Contractual hours are 9-5.30, but I wouldn't pay any notice to that"Why is that? Recognise project delivery may require you to work extra hours to meet the deadline, but is the inference here that 9-5:30 is what consultancies want you to work more than that?

To me, it shows a lack of respect.If one's contracted hours are 9.00-5.30 M-F, then surely one is entitled to go home at 5.30?Except one isn't.So, can we conclude that companies that put one set of hours in a contract of employment yet routinely expect (demand) employees to work another set of (longer) hours are, in effect, dishonest in their intentions? How does this compare with their stated principles of "integrity" and the like?

Take a recent contract I have received from an interested consultancy, that states contractual hours are 9:30am until 5:30pm with 1hour lunch. It goes on to state that under no circumstances should 48hours per week be continually exceeded but only on a short term basis to satisfy the needs of a delivery. So, 48hrs is roughly doing 8-6 daily for a week, with an hour lunch. I'm inclined to agree with you that integrity and work-life balance is key in any employment, but working excessively above 48hours is just against the Working Time Directive. This is not to say that employees may opt out of the WTD, but this is optional. Out of curiosity, what are the work hours, say for a Manager, working for one of the Big 4 in London? Recognise it would differ from day to day, but typically would suffice.

A contract [u]has[/u] to stipulate working hours, but to those questioning them: I don't think you really get it.Being a consultant is a delivery focused job, you are not really paid to be there 9-5 (or whatever) and turn a handle, you are there to create positive outcomes, be they winning a bid, or fulfilling client expectations.A 'good' consultant will do whatever it takes to get the job done, and it is the outputs on which you should be measured. In a typical Big 4 'round table', your rating will not be based on the hours you worked, nor should they be. Rather, you will be assessed on the strength of your delivery, and the outcomes of your delivery.This is a fundemental part of our jobs, and if you don't like it, one could argue that consulting is just not the right career for you.(I'm an ex-Big 4 manager, now at a niche consultancy, and my words above are a whole-market assumption - they don't (and shouldn't) differ according to which firm you happen to work for).

#2,Seems to be low. May I ask how many years of experience?

4-5 years (large FTSE100) since graduating.

[quote]This is not to say that employees may opt out of the WTD, but this is optional. [/quote]I would say it is very much NOT optional in many cases. New employees are often presented with an "opt out" form on day 1 of joining their chosen company, and are "asked" to sign it. We all know what happens if they don't (although that will never be the reason given...)

[quote]Being a consultant is a delivery focused job, you are not really paid to be there 9-5 (or whatever) and turn a handle, you are there to create positive outcomes, be they winning a bid, or fulfilling client expectations. [/quote]In theory, yes. In practice, a lot of people just want to see you in the office 24/7. The "outcomes" are so debatable in many cases anyhow.[quote]A 'good' consultant will do whatever it takes to get the job done [/quote]Eek! You're starting to sound like a client who wants double the effort but doesn't want to pay any more....! [quote] and it is the outputs on which you should be measured. In a typical Big 4 'round table', your rating will not be based on the hours you worked, nor should they be. Rather, you will be assessed on the strength of your delivery, and the outcomes of your delivery. [/quote]Or rated based on all sorts of organisational politics, don't you think?.[quote]This is a fundemental part of our jobs, and if you don't like it, one could argue that consulting is just not the right career for you. [/quote]OK that sounds like somebody who has just come out of their week 1 brainwashing *ahem* I mean training course.[quote](I'm an ex-Big 4 manager [/quote]No surprises there then![quote]now at a niche consultancy, and my words above are a whole-market assumption - they don't (and shouldn't) differ according to which firm you happen to work for). [/quote]Terms and conditions apply.

Ha, excellent reply BEP!My post does very much sounds like 'one of those' brainwashed dudes, but to a degree you have to fully buy into the bullsh*t to succeed in these places, whilst at the same time understanding the political aspect, which you rightly highlight my lack of mentioning.I guess my post should have started with the proclamation that my points are all, at the very least, how you should endeavour to be perceived, even if your mindset doesn't completely tally.I've worked with very few people that actively judge on face time though, as long as outputs are being delivered. Again though, as Bushy states, perception is a big part of the game.